


Little Kisses

by combinationlock



Series: Aerti [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aerith is a tease, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Not Canon Compliant, Spoilers, Tifa can't stop blushing, small panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25901761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/combinationlock/pseuds/combinationlock
Summary: Five times Aerith kisses Tifa, and one time Tifa kisses Aerith.Or, Aerith is so casually flirty, and it’s slowly driving Tifa insane.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Series: Aerti [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941841
Comments: 16
Kudos: 194





	Little Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I finished FF7 Remake recently, and I've been obsessed with AerTi. Apparently so much so that I wrote my first fic about them.
> 
> There's no real timeline for when these snippets occur, so apologies for any inconsistencies with canon.
> 
> This story contains spoilers for the Remake, but I haven't played the original game (yet), so who knows about that.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**I.**

The first time Aerith kisses her is so light and quick, it’s over before Tifa has even processed what’s happened.

She doesn’t even know what she did to deserve this act of affection, but that doesn’t stop the thoughts from swirling around her head.

 _Maybe it’s just something people from Sector 5 do?_ (Doubtful.) _Maybe it’s a Cetra thing?_ (Possibly?) _Was she overthinking this?_ (Absolutely.)

Cloud’s voice snaps her from her thoughts. “Tifa, you coming?”

She realizes that Cloud is looking back at her in confusion, his arms crossed and eyebrow quirked.

Aerith is standing next to him, smiling innocently at her.

She's suddenly aware that her own eyes are staring owlishly ahead, her mouth agape.

Tifa shakes her head to regain focus. “Uh, yeah," she eloquently responds, then jogs to catch up to her companions.

* * *

**II.**

When Aerith asked her if she wanted to go on a hike together, she was probably too quick to agree.

“I have something I want to show you!” she said excitedly.

So excitedly in fact, that Tifa didn’t stop to question what that something could be or why they would need to hike to see it.

So here they were, an hour and three miles later, and as far as Tifa can tell, it doesn’t seem like they’re anywhere close to their destination.

Which would have been fine, really. A nice, relaxing hike. Exploring the area and enjoying easy conversation with her good friend Aerith.

Turns out Aerith failed to mention that this trail was crawling with monsters.

Not that this was anything they couldn’t handle, but a little warning would have been nice.

Oh well, they help keep her mind away from wondering what it is Aerith wants to show her at least.

After they’ve defeated yet another group of Hedgehog Pies, Tifa jokingly says, “You know, when you asked if I wanted to go on a hike with you, this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

Aerith spins around to face her and confidently puts her hands on her hips. “Don’t worry, Tifa! I’m here to protect you.”

Tifa just laughs and responds, “My hero.”

A short while and many monsters later, Aerith finally looks at her and nearly sings, “We’re here!”

She reaches out to grab Tifa’s hand, and leads them out of the brush.

As they emerge, Tifa’s in awe of what she sees.

They’re near the edge of a cliff, and she’s pretty sure she can see the entirety of Sector 5 from here. She can make out the church, the big television monitor in the slums, the tall abandoned buildings.

It’s stunning, and Tifa can only breathe out, “Wow.”

Aerith, still holding her hand, says, “It’s my secret spot. I found it years ago.”

She sits down and tugs Tifa down with her. “Sometimes I come here to just think. About life. My mom. The kids at the Leaf House.”

Tifa can only hum and nod in understanding. She could relate all too well. They both had people they wanted to protect. And people they lost.

Tifa briefly acknowledges that Aerith had quickly established herself as someone she wants to protect.

Aerith is resting her head on her shoulder now, and despite the scenery around them, Tifa’s suddenly very aware of how sweaty and grimey she must be.

Why did it seem like Aerith hadn’t even broken a sweat?

Tifa would kill for a shower.

As she averts her gaze away from the girl next to her, she notices hints of the sunset visible through the hole left by the fallen Sector 5 plate.

The sky is orange, with hints of pink and purple.

It reminds her of the countryside. Of a home she was forced to leave behind. And of loved ones who have returned to the planet.

Aerith grabs her hand again, and Tifa looks back at her.

Aerith is looking up at her sympathetically, knowingly.

Then she watches as Aerith’s eyelids flutter close, as she brings their connected hands up to her lips and kisses the back of her hand.

Tifa smiles softly, and looks back out at the sunset. “Thanks for bringing me here. It’s beautiful.”

“The scenery isn’t the only beautiful thing here,” Aerith responds casually.

Tifa whips her head over to look at the other girl, who proceeds to wink at her, impish grin on her face.

Tifa quickly looks away and can only hope that’s enough to hide her flush as Aerith settles back into her side.

Once the sun has set, they start making their way back down. Luckily, they managed to take out most of the monsters on their way up, so their hands remain intertwined the whole hike back.

* * *

**III.**

Tifa jolts awake, her breathing quick and body sweaty.

Air. She needs air. 

She stumbles out of bed, her vision warped and legs shaky.

But that barely registers as she rushes out of the room.

She feels the cool night air against her face when she exits the inn, but it’s only a small comfort as she drags herself to the lakeside. 

Tears prickle in her eyes as she sits and tucks her face into her knees, recalling her nightmare.

Or rather, a series of memories. Of her hometown burning. Of her inability to stop Shinra from dropping the plate. Of the hopelessness and despair she felt when she realized she'd failed yet again.

The tears are streaming down her face now, and a sob wracks her body.

How many people had lost their lives because of her? Because she was too weak, too slow, too -

“Tifa.” She vaguely registers the feeling of arms gently wrapping around her shoulders, accompanied by a familiar flowery scent.

_Aerith._

They were sharing a room at the inn. Tifa realizes she must have woken her when she left in such a hurry.

Damnit. She hadn’t wanted the other girl to see her like this - to be burdened with her own worry and sorrow.

And yet, Tifa finds herself throwing herself into her embrace, hands gripping the back of Aerith’s nightgown, and crying into her chest.

Aerith just holds her. Once she’s started to calm, Tifa notices she’s stroking her hair. 

Aerith doesn’t say anything, doesn’t ask for an explanation. 

She just places a gentle kiss against her temple, and Tifa realizes she feels more safe than she had in ages, right there in Aerith’s arms.

The following evening, as Tifa is drifting off to sleep after another long day, she feels Aerith slip under her sheets and hold her.

Aerith just giggles softly as Tifa shifts closer into her embrace, and Tifa wakes the next morning feeling more rested than she can remember.

* * *

**IV.**

After months of rebuilding the bar, the moment Tifa had been waiting for was finally here.

It’s the bar’s pre-opening, a time to celebrate its official reopening with the members of Avalanche and their closest friends.

Tifa wipes down the last of the glasses and places them in neat rows behind the counter.

Everything is set and ready to go.

As if on cue, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge come bursting through the door yelling, “Congratulations!”

A few hours later, while the others are watching Barret try to beat Cloud’s score in darts, Aerith and Tifa find themselves chatting alone at the counter.

“Wait, they were playing dead?” Tifa’s laughing so hard, she has to wipe a tear from her eye.

Aerith enthusiastically replies, “Yeah! I mean, not very well, obviously. We could totally hear them talking while we were walking away. They were severely outmatched, of course. Cloud wouldn’t have even needed me there to protect him.”

Aerith has a teasing glint in her eye, but Tifa recognizes the truth in her words. Despite her appearance, Aerith was by far the most powerful magic wielder she had ever seen.

“To be fair, you and Cloud make quite an intimidating team. I can only imagine what was going through their heads when you pulled out your weapons.”

Aerith scoffs. “They should’ve just ignored us to begin with, then. Cloud literally carries his sword around on his back. You can see that thing from a mile away.”

Tifa chuckles fondly as she responds, “Fair point.”

In the background, she hears the others chatting. Wedge is trying to give Barret darts advice.

(“You’ve gotta wait until the ring shrinks!”

“What the _hell_ does that mean??”)

Then, noticing Aerith’s glass is empty, Tifa asks, “Another drink?”

“You know it.”

“Another Frozen Moogle?”

“Hmm… Surprise me.”

“Alright, I’ve got just the thing.” Tifa smiles reassuringly.

She then grabs a glass and a bottle of liquor, and proceeds to perform well-practiced twirls and tricks that took her longer to master than she would care to admit.

And if she throws in a couple more winks and smiles just a bit wider than usual, well, she’ll just attribute that to the extra shots Aerith had insisted they take together.

It definitely has nothing to do with the way the girl in front of her watches with rapt attention and a look that Tifa can’t quite place.

When she finishes pouring the drink, she slides it down the counter.

Aerith catches it easily and takes a sip. “Oo, tasty!”

“It’s our house special, the Cosmo Canyon.” 

“Well, as thanks for the drink and a show,” Aerith leans over the counter and presses a kiss to Tifa’s cheek. 

It’s not far from where that first fleeting kiss had landed, Tifa briefly registers.

But before she can think too deeply about it, cheers ring out from across the room and the others start rushing toward the counter.

Apparently Barret had finally beaten (okay, tied) Cloud’s score, and proclaimed that the next round of drinks was on him.

The rest of the night flowed happily with the group reminiscing on their journey, spouting dreams for the future, and sharing hearty laughs.

Even after the celebration ended and everyone had gone home, the warmth of Aerith’s lips against her cheek continued to linger.

* * *

**V.**

Tifa and Aerith were on another “shopping date” which were becoming increasingly more common as of late.

Today, they were wandering the streets of Sector 5, and Tifa quickly became convinced that Aerith knew everyone living here.

Tifa can’t help the feeling of affection that grew as seemingly everyone stopped them on the street to thank Aerith for something she had done for them.

(“It’s because I’m _so_ generous,” Aerith says by way of explanation.)

Eventually, they find themselves outside the Leaf House. Tifa had never been here before, but Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge always spoke fondly of the place and the children.

It’s not long before a group of kids runs up to them and shouts, “Aerith!”

One of the kids follows up, “Is Cloud with you today? The Toad King is back near the hideout. We tried to take care of it ourselves, but... We’re still training to be SOLDIERs and we’re not strong enough yet.” A dejected look crosses each of their faces.

Aerith crouches down when she responds to them. “Nope, but looks like today’s your lucky day!” She gestures toward Tifa and continues, “My friend Tifa here is even stronger than Cloud!”

The kids collectively look at her in shock and disbelief. “What! No way!”

“It’s true! And she’s cuter too.” Tifa almost misses the wink Aerith throws her way, too busy trying to hide her blush from all the praise.

The kids seem to accept that Tifa’s their best bet at solving their Toad problem, because after some murmurs, they grant her permission to enter their secret hideout.

The two women follow the kids through a narrow alley and out into a clearing, as they explain, “Grown-ups usually aren’t allowed back here, but you, Aerith, and Cloud are exceptions.”

Aerith proudly follows up with, “It’s quite the honor, Tifa. You’re now part of a very exclusive group.”

Tifa just laughs.

Leaving the kids behind as they duck through a hole in a fence, she and Aerith quickly manage to track down the Toad and its underlings.

A quick battle ensues, and after she lands the finishing blow and they share their ritual post-battle high-five, she turns around and is surprised to see the kids gaping at her in awe.

As if a spell is broken, they all suddenly rush towards her, jumping and exclaiming.

“That was awesome!”

“With only your bare fists!”

“Teach me how to punch!”

Tifa overcomes her initial surprise, and just smiles at them. She modestly says, “I’m just happy to help you get your hideout back.”

And just like that, Tifa quickly earns the respect and admiration of the kids.

(Aerith can’t help but feel a sense of pride when she later sees them around town punching the air, practicing to become brawlers.)

Once they leave the hideout, Aerith gives Tifa an apologetic look. “Sorry, I know I promised today would be just for us. How about we go back to my house for some dinner? Mom makes an incredible shepherd’s pie.”

Tifa’s suddenly aware of her empty stomach and smiles. “That sounds wonderful. I’m starved.”

They walk through the Sector until they cross the bridge to Aerith’s home.

The last time she was here, she was too distraught to really appreciate it, but now Tifa finally has a chance to take in how beautiful the enclosed area is. 

They enter the cozy home, and Aerith hugs her mother in greeting.

Elmyra responds with, “Welcome home sweetie.” 

Then she looks over and addresses their guest. “You’re Tifa, right? Sorry we weren’t able to be properly acquainted the first time we met. I wasn’t able to express this before, but I can’t thank you enough for saving my daughter. She’s lucky to have people like you in her life who care so much for her. I can see why Aerith speaks so highly of you.”

Aerith quickly interrupts, an affronted look on her face. “Mom!”

Then she turns towards Tifa with a hurried smile. “Okay Tifa, let’s go upstairs and wash up!” She grabs her hand and leads her up the stairs.

They soon enter the small bathroom and Aerith begins to wash her hands.

Tifa chuckles when she spots a stool beneath the sink, and an image pops into her mind of Aerith as a child reaching up to the sink, barely tall enough to reach her fingers to the running water.

Aerith notices the laugh and says, “What’s so funny, huh?”

“Nothing,” she begins, but then gasps when she’s interrupted by a splash of water that hits her face.

Did Aerith just -

Tifa looks into the mirror and sees Aerith’s reflection looking back at her, a challenging grin on her face and a teasing look in her eye.

Oh, it was _on_.

Tifa quickly leans forward, instinctively grabbing Aerith’s waist, and flicks water at the other girl.

Aerith shrieks, then laughs as she holds her hands up in surrender. “I give, I give.”

Tifa relaxes, suddenly realizing her arm is still around Aerith’s waist.

She hastily moves to remove it, but then freezes when she feels Aerith’s hand cup her face to wipe off some water.

Really, the only explanation she has is that her brain must have short circuited.

Because the next thing she knew, Aerith was nuzzling her face into her own hand.

Tifa feels her breath catch, as Aerith looks up at her with captivating green eyes, filled with an emotion that Tifa almost doesn’t let herself believe is there.

Almost.

Tifa feels her traitorous eyes fall down to Aerith’s lips.

They’re tantalizing up close, and all she can think about is all the times she had felt those lips pressed against her skin. 

About how lucky she is to have someone as effortlessly charming and beautifully confident and wonderfully thoughtful as Aerith in her life.

Someone so brave and smart and - _Oh._

Shit.

Could Aerith feel the same longing? The same desire? And, if she’s being honest with herself, the same love that she feels for the woman before her? 

“Aerith,” she nearly whispers. Then presses on with more confidence before she loses her nerve. “Can I kiss you?”

It’s silent for a moment, then Aerith’s lips quirk up conspiratorially.

Suddenly, she feels warm lips against hers, as slim yet strong arms slip around her shoulders. 

Before she can properly respond, Aerith pulls back, arms sitting loosely around Tifa’s neck and a smug smile on her face. “I was beginning to think you’d never ask.”

This time, Tifa draws Aerith into an embrace, locking their lips together. 

Kissing Aerith was everything Tifa could have imagined and more. 

The way Aerith’s soft lips pressed against her own, holding each other close, the intoxicating scent of yellow lilies. It was overwhelming and wonderful and. Perfect.

When she feels Aerith’s tongue run along her lips, Tifa damn near moans. In turn, Aerith gasps when Tifa accidentally tugs her hair instead.

Needless to say, they’re breathless and flushed when they finally separate.

“So, uh, should I reintroduce myself to your mom?”

Aerith just laughs and kisses her again, and Tifa’s already so far gone for the girl in her arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
